By Johnathan Paoli
The Social Development Department’s veteran spokesperson, Lumka Oliphant, has lashed out at her employer after being suspended, accusing minister Sisisi Tolashe and senior officials of using trumped-up charges to silence her.
In a statement, Oliphant confirmed her suspension, linking it to suspicions that she leaked details of an official trip to the media.
“Just because I have worked with almost every journalist, particularly at City Press, Sisisi believes I leaked the information to the Sunday Times and City Press,” Oliphant said.
Her suspension follows a Sunday Times exposé that revealed the department spent over R3 million on luxury hotel accommodation in New York during an official trip. The revelations triggered public outrage over wasteful spending at a time when millions rely on social grants to survive.
Oliphant insisted the move was politically motivated, rooted in her past association with former minister Bathabile Dlamini, and shaped by factional battles inside the department.
“She has taken her political fight with Bathabile Dlamini into the department and has been victimising me in every meeting, but I still gave her the respect she deserves as a leader,” she said.
The department confirmed her suspension but denied her claims, saying it was part of “consequence management” tied to ongoing investigations.
“The suspension of Lumka Oliphant is with full pay and is intended to allow an investigation into allegations against her to proceed without interference,” it said, adding that the probe stems from Auditor-General (AG) findings into both the department and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA).
Oliphant dismissed this as a smokescreen, arguing the findings related to poor management at SASSA and should be directed at the Director-General.
“If they are talking about AG findings, then the DG should be suspended because we have a multi-billion rand finding pointing to mismanagement at SASSA by the department—not me,” she argued.
She further accused Tolashe of undermining her work and ridiculing her despite her record of excellence in government communications.
“Sisisi, who does not even have a Grade 12, has been ridiculing my work even though I remain one of the best-performing Heads of Communication in government,” she charged.
Oliphant also claimed Ministerial advisor Ngwako Kgatla branded her “the minister’s enemy” because of her historic ties to Dlamini.
“Anyone who is not aligned with the advisor is moved around. This suspension is because he’s been telling people I am the minister’s enemy,” she said.
Despite the fallout, Oliphant vowed not to be silenced.
A seasoned communicator, she is widely regarded as one of the most experienced spokespersons in the public service and has previously been recognised by the Government Communication and Information System as among the state’s top-performing Heads of Communication.
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